Table 6.6: Functions and training of workplace rehabilitation coordinators

 

Workplace rehabilitation coordinator requirements and threshold

Training and accreditation

New South Wales

Clause 19 Workers compensation Regulation 2016 must have a return-to-work coordinator.

A category 1 employer must have a dedicated return to work coordinator who has the required training and skills to assist injured Employees return to work.

 The Guidelines for workplace return to work programs outlines the functions of Return-to-Work Coordinators:

An employer should appoint a RTW coordinator who has well established relationship with workers and a good understanding of all aspects of the workplace. 

If an employer chooses to outsource this role or engage a RTW coordinator under a work arrangement or contract, they must ensure:

The appointed person has the required training, skills and experience

The arrangement will not disadvantage workers

Consult the workforce before proceeding with the arrangement

 

There is no perceived or actual conflict of interest for the person being engaged    

The RTW program details the arrangements,

including the person’s name, qualifications and experience

The suitability of these arrangements is reviewed every two years as part of the RTW program review.

Category 2 employers are required to nominate person

responsible for recovery at work, develop and implement a return-to-work program.

   

 

 

 

 

Return to work coordinators must have the training, skills and experience to perform the role and functions of the

return-to-work coordinator for an employer. SIRAs online training is available to assist return to work coordinators to meet this requirement. Category 1 employers are required to appoint or engage a RTW coordinator who has relevant training, skills and experience to perform the role and functions of a RTW Coordinator.

The guidelines outline competencies which are required of a RTW coordinator

these include:

effective communication skills  

the ability to consult with and influence stakeholders  

negotiation and conflict resolution    

being organised and skilled in time management    

the ability to think and solve problems    

a knowledge of NSW workers compensation

legislation and the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the system

SIRA has developed online training for return-to-work

coordinators to understand their role, the importance of recovery at work and

how employers can meet their workers compensation obligations.

Victoria

Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 s106 — An employer’s obligation to have a Return to Work Coordinator depends on their rateable remuneration:

  • an employer with a rateable remuneration of $2,518,510 or more must have a Return to Work Coordinator appointed at all times, and
  • an employer with a rateable remuneration of less than $2,518,510 must appoint a Return to Work Coordinator for the duration of the employer’s return to work obligations to an injured worker.

An employer must appoint a person to be a Return to Work Coordinator who has an appropriate level of seniority and is competent to assist the employer to meet the employer’s obligations under Part 4 of the Act.

A person is competent to assist the employer to meet its obligations under Part 4 of the Act if the person has knowledge, skills or experience relevant to planning for return, including: (a) knowledge of the obligations of employers and workers under Part 4 of the Act (b) knowledge of the compensation scheme provided for under the Act and the Accident Compensation Act 1985 and the functions of WorkSafe Victoria and, if relevant, self-insurers under Part 4 of the Act.

View the Return to Work Coordinator guidance and the Return to Work Coordinators Compliance code for further information.

Return to Work Coordinator Training

WSV strongly encourages all Return to Work Coordinators to stay up to date with the latest return to work news, information and events, and in doing so build upon and maintain their competence as a coordinator.

Queensland

Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 s41 Meaning of rehabilitation and return to work coordinator

A rehabilitation and return to work coordinator is a person who is appropriately qualified to perform the functions of a rehabilitation and return to work coordinator and has the functions prescribed under a regulation. (Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014 s114 — Functions of Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator). These include:

  • initiate early communication with an injured worker in order to clarify the nature and severity of the worker’s injury;
  • provide overall coordination of the worker’s return to work;
  • if a rehabilitation and return to work plan is required—
    • consult with the worker and the worker’s employer to develop the suitable duties program component of the plan; and
    • ensure the program is consistent with the current medical certificate or report for the worker’s injury;
  • liaise with—
    • any person engaged by the employer to help in the worker’s rehabilitation and return to work; and
    • the insurer about the worker’s progress and indicate, as early as possible, if there is a need for the insurer to assist or intervene.

s226 — Employer’s obligation to appoint rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinators

  1. An employer must appoint a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator if the employer meets criteria prescribed under a regulation. That is, the employer employs workers at a workplace in a high risk industry and the wages of the employer in Queensland for the preceding financial year were more than 2,600 times QOTE. If not in a high risk industry, the wages of the employer in Queensland for the preceding financial year were more than 5,200 times QOTE.
  2. The Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator must be in Queensland and be employed by the employer under a contract (regardless of whether the contract is a contract of service).
  3. The employer must appoint the Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator within 6 months after workplace is established or workers are employed at a workplace. Later period can be granted.
  4. A Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator is not civilly liable for an act done, or an omission made, in giving effect to the workplace rehabilitation policy and procedures of an employer.
  5. If subsection (4) prevents a civil liability attaching to a rehabilitation and return to work, the liability attaches to the employer.

 

s41 Meaning of rehabilitation and return to work coordinator

A person is taken to be appropriately qualified to perform the functions of a rehabilitation and return to work coordinator if the person has completed a training course approved by the Regulator.

Western Australia

N/A

N/A

South Australia

Return to work co-ordinators – under s26 Return to Work Act 2014 - an employer must appoint (and retain) a return to work co-ordinator who is based in South Australia.

The employer must appoint a co-ordinator:

  • within 6 months after the requirement to be registered as an employer under the Return to Work Act 2014 (or within a later period approved by the Return to Work Corporation) and
  • within 3 months after a vacancy occurs in the office of a co-ordinator.

A co-ordinator has the following functions:

  • to assist workers suffering from work injuries, where prudent and practicable, to remain at or return to work as soon as possible after the occurrence of the injury:
  • to assist in the preparation and implementation of any recovery/return to work plan for an injured worker
  • to liaise with any persons involved in the provision of medical and other relevant services to workers
  • to monitor the progress of an injured worker’s capacity to return to work
  • to as far as practicable, prevent the occurrence of an aggravation, acceleration, exacerbation, deterioration or recurrence of an injury where a worker returns to work.

The regulations may exempt an employer, or employers of a prescribed class, from the requirement to appoint a Return to Work Co-ordinator (see s26 and reg 18 of the Return to Work Regulations 2015).

 

  • Businesses that employ more than 30 workers are required to appoint a certified return to work coordinator.
  • Return to Work Co-ordinator certificate training provides participants with an understanding of the role, functions and responsibilities of a return to work coordinator.

Training is provided on-line or by a registered training provider. Details are provided on the ReturnToWorkSA website.

Tasmania

Injury Management Coordinator — Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 s143B. Injury management coordinator to be appointed.

1.    The licensed insurer of an employer of a worker must appoint an injury management coordinator in respect of the employer.

2.    The licensed insurer of an employer of a worker, as soon as practicable after becoming aware that the worker has suffered a significant injury, must assign the worker to the injury management coordinator in respect of the employer.

3.    If a worker’s approved injury management program was submitted by the worker’s employer to the employer’s insurer under s143(4):

●    subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to the employer’s insurer; and

●    the employer must (i) appoint an injury management coordinator in respect of the employer; and (ii) assign a worker to the injury management coordinator, as soon as practicable after becoming aware the worker has suffered an injury.

4.    If a worker’s approved injury management program was submitted by the worker’s employer to the Board under s143(5) or (6) the employer must:

●    appoint an injury management co-ordinator in respect of the employer; and

●    assign a worker to the injury management co-ordinator, as soon as practicable after becoming aware that the worker has suffered a significant injury.

 

The employer or insurer who appointed a person to be an injury management co-ordinator may appoint another person to be the injury management co-ordinator in the place of the person first appointed.

Return to Work coordinator — s143D

Return to Work Coordinator may be required to be appointed.

·        An employer who employs more than 100 workers must appoint a return to work coordinator.

A worker’s employer may only assign a worker to a return to work coordinator if the coordinator is familiar with the workplace, and the management and staff of the workplace, in which the worker is employed.

Injury Management Coordinator — s143B(5)

A person may only be appointed to be an injury management coordinator if, where the Board approves a course of training:

  1. the person has successfully completed the course of training; or
  2. the Board is satisfied that the person has obtained a qualification or completed a course of training that is at least equivalent to the course of training approved by the Board.

The approved course of training for an injury management coordinator, as of 1 March 2021 is a Certificate IV in Personal Injury Management. Elective units in return to work are encouraged.

Return to Work Coordinator — s143D

A person may only be appointed under ss(1) to be a return to work coordinator if, where the Board has approved a course of training:

  1. the person has successfully completed the course of training; or
  2. the Board is satisfied that the person has obtained a qualification or completed a course of training that is at least equivalent to the course of training approved by the Board.

While the WorkCover Tasmania Board has not approved a course of training for return to work coordinators, it is recognised that this role requires certain knowledge and skills to enable the appointed person to effectively perform the role. For this reason, it is highly recommended that a return to work coordinator completes four units of competencies recognised within the Australian Qualifications Framework, refer to WorkSafe Tasmania’s website.

ACT

An employer that pays an annual premium of $200,000 or more, or is a self-insurer

The SafeWork NSW approved training course Introduction to return to work coordination or its equivalent as named from time to time.

Northern Territory

N/A

N/A

C’wealth Comcare

The Guidelines specify the requirements for the rehabilitation delegate. These include:

Having appropriate skills and capabilities to exercise their powers and perform the functions under Part III of the SRC Act; and being supported with appropriate resources and training for the exercise or performance of their powers and functions [see section 7(1)].

Comcare does not have an accreditation process.

Comcare does provide Rehabilitation case manager core capabilities. These capabilities define the requirements of an effective rehabilitation case manager in the Comcare scheme. The core capabilities can be used to establish a scheme standard and support training needs of the rehabilitation case manager.

Comcare also offers face-to-face and virtual training, delivers regular rehabilitation case manager forums and produces better practice guidance and research.

C’wealth Seacare

N/A

N/A

C’wealth DVA

 

  • The role of the DVA Rehabilitation Coordinator is to facilitate and monitor the program of activities for the client involved in the rehabilitation process so as to return the person to a level of functioning, consistent with medical advice in accordance with the relevant legislation, policies and procedures which apply to that individual’s circumstances. The Rehabilitation Coordinator is a link between the client, treating medical practitioners, allied health workers, service providers, training organisations and the managing agency. The Rehabilitation Coordinator is a DVA staff member.
  • The Australian Defence Force Rehabilitation Program (ADFRP) and Rehabilitation for Reservist Program provides rehabilitation services for Permanent Force members and Reserve Force members, including part-time and inactive Reserve force members.

 

To work with DVA clients, rehabilitation provider organisations need to satisfy a number of DVA-specific requirements. This process is independent of the Comcare accreditation process. To work with DVA clients, provider organisations need to be both an approved Comcare provider and meet the specific DVA requirements.

These DVA requirements are distinct from Comcare’s revised approval criteria and operational standards and have been agreed to by the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (MRCC). Industry input at a number of consultation meetings in 2015 helped shape the DVA requirements. Summary of Requirements

The new DVA rehabilitation provider requirements encompass five criteria that all rehabilitation provider staff working with DVA clients will need to satisfy. These requirements are:

  • Experience in working with DVA clients or other workers from a similar environment such as police or emergency services personnel;
  • Experience in assisting clients with complex medical conditions to move to a new job with a new employer, to change careers and/or move into a new industry;
  • Experience in translating specific skills and qualifications to other industries;
  • Completion of DVA e-learning courses demonstrating a knowledge of military culture and DVA services (see below); and
  • Minimum of two years’ hands on experience working with clients in medical management, vocational and/or psychosocial areas). These three areas constitute DVA’s ‘whole of person’ rehabilitation approach.

DVA e-Learning courses

Providers will need to ensure that their staff have completed the required DVA e-learning courses which are:

  • Non-Liability Health Care – Online Training
  • Rehabilitation Online
  • Understanding the Military Experience
  • DVA Rehabilitation Program (for consultants who register with DVA from mid-April 2017).

Completion of these specific e-learning courses is a mandatory requirement and cannot be waived. These e-learning courses and information about how to access the modules are available on DVATrain on the DVA Website. As other appropriate courses become available DVA will inform providers of details and timeframes for completion.

New Zealand

N/A

N/A